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Programs, Press, Exhibits & Classes > Calendar Archives > December 2006
Calendar of Events |
DECEMBER 2006 |
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Booksale - Auburndale, noon-3pm
Concert, 2pm |
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Children's Book Writers Group, 7pm
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Short Fiction Group, 7pm
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Contemporary Books Group 7:30pm
Author Talk, 7:30pm
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Concert, 2pm
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Short Story Discussion Group, 7:30pm
Newton Camera Club, 7:30pm
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Great Books Discussion Group, 7:15pm
Author Talk, 7:30pm
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Sequences Group Meeting, 10am
Nonantum Book Group, 10:30am
Concert, 7:30pm
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Board of Trustees
Meeting, 8:30am
Women's Career Transition Group, 7:30pm |
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African Literature Discussion Group, 7:30pm
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Library Closes at 4pm for Christmas Eve
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Library Closed for Christmas
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Children's Book Writers Group, 7pm
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Newton Corner Book Group, 10:30am |
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Library Closes at 4pm for New Year's Eve |
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| For
more information on any of the Library events,
please call the Library at (617) 796-1360 |
Unless noted otherwise, all events take place at the Library's Main Branch.
All events are free and open to the public.
The Library is handicapped accessible. For special assistance when attending programs, call 796-1410 during business hours and 796-1360 evenings and weekends.
To view a previous calendar, click here to view the Archives. (Available from October 2004.) |
| Art Exhibits |
| ART EXHIBITION INFORMATION
Are you interested in exhibiting your artwork at the Library? The
Newton Free Library presents monthly exhibits by regional artists
in the Gallery and Main Hall of the main library, a state-of-the-art
facility which 11,000 people visit weekly. Please click
here for more information.
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| MAIN HALL / DECEMBER |
Main Hall
Kiril Slavkov: Stairs to...
December 2 - 28
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Stairs hold a certain mystery or fascination for us as do mountain-top vistas, the horizon beyond the sea or open windows or doors. We can’t quite see what is beyond, but we know the landscape or journey is leading somewhere and we hope optimistically for something good, something better than what we now have. It is in this sense that Slavkov uses stairs as a metaphor for that unexpected turn for the better or at least for something different. He asks: “Where will your stairs lead you?”
Originally from Bulgaria, his first interest in discovering other worlds came from listening to mythical stories about the creatures in the sky and underworld at his grandmother’s knee. He was frustrated that he couldn’t find the route or stairs to go there, he says. Much later he became a psychologist where his interest shifted to exploring the subconscious – another unseen realm. Then he emigrated to America – the big step. Dreams of what his life might be like were replaced by reality.
These photos, mostly in black & white, are of a wide array of places and buildings. From fire escapes to an outdoor mural, from stairs casting their shadows on train tracks below to the repetitive intricacy of utility stairs winding around a public gas tank, each image captures the mystery of stairs leading to another literal or figurative level.
Slavkov won a top prize in “The Best Photograph from Bulgaria” contest organized by the Association for Bulgaria and provided photos for the website of the British Council in Bulgaria. He presented “Stairs to…” at the Brookline 300 celebration and last May, participated in Brookline Artist Open Studios. In 2004, he published photographs in the Allston/Brighton Bulletin with the Bulletin Group. His portraits of Newton Library ESL students and tutors were part of the ESL displays here in recent years. Slavkov’s photos of Russian immigrants, antiwar demonstrations and gay marriage may be seen on his website: www.kirilschronicles.com.
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| GALLERY / DECEMBER |
Kelly Carmody: Portraits in Oil
December 2 - 28
Reception: Thursday, December 7, at 7PM
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Portrait of Pauline |
Carmody’s oil paintings pay homage to the Old Masters in dark, velvety tones. Yet her portraits are of friends, models and students with contemporary expressions, gestures and clothing – a merging of the old with the new. Dressed in a snow parka, “Lauren” stares out impassively, perhaps stoically, the silky wrinkles of her coat the subject of lavish attention. “HCole,” dressed in black velvet, a ski scarf thrown nonchalantly around her neck, studiedly ignores the painter, lost perhaps in sadness.
Carmody focuses on light, shapes, composition and color values bringing out the inner character of her subjects as they sit for her. Just as a diagonal arm or neckline draws interest to the work, so do her subjects’ faces, bathed in warm light. In a fitting tribute to her teacher who schooled her in the ways of classical painting, “Portrait of Numael” shows him as artist, palette and brushes in his arms, garbed in an artist’s smock, a look of concerned interest on his face as he studies a subject: his student – and she returns the favor.
Carmody has exhibited at the Arthouse in Jamaica Plain, Stel’s in Boston, Fort Point Members Show and Open Studios, Brush Art Gallery in Lowell, Nantucket Art Association and others.
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| Clubs |
Library
groups meet at the Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton Centre,
unless otherwise noted. All meetings are free and open to the public.
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African
Literatures Discussion Group |
Led by Anne Serafin, this group explores the rich variety of writings from Africa. The group meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:30PM in Meeting Room A. Meeting Date: December 20: Death and the King’s Horseman, a play by Wole Soyinka. For further information, call 527-1072.
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Children's
Book Writers Group |
Meetings are held on the first Monday or on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7:00PM in Meeting Room A. This group is for writers who have work in progress. Pre-registration required. Please call Maria Gianferrari at 781-891-0153 or Karen Day at 244-4830 for more information. Meeting Dates: Monday, December 4 or Wednesday, December 27.
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Contemporary
Books Discussion Group |
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Great
Books Discussion Group |
Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:15PM in Meeting Room A. Members read books from the Great Books Foundation (available at the Library). Meeting Date: December 12: Civil Disobedience by Thoreau. For further information, call Ruth Greene at 527-4143.
Great Books Booklist - January 2007 - June 2007 |
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Newton
Camera Club |
Meetings are usually held at 7:30PM on the second and fourth Mondays at the Nonantum branch. Group coordinator: Amy Oppen-heimer: amy.oppenh@verizon.net. Meeting Date: December 11: Competition in Creative Manipulation and Open categories, judged by Rebecca Masland.
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Sequences:
Women Tell Our Stories Group |
In this women’s workshop, participants read, discuss and write about literature by women. The group meets the second Wednesday of each month from 10 - 11:30AM in Meeting Room A. Leader: Robin Mayer Stein. Meeting Date: December 13.
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Short
Fiction Writing Group |
This workshop provides an atmosphere of expert support to polish short fiction. It is geared for published writers as well as those who are actively pursuing publication. Leader is Michael Kaufman. Pre-registration is required: call 617-332-3347. The group meets the first Tuesday of the month, 7:00PM, in Meeting Room A. Meeting Date: December 5.
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Short
Story Discussion Group |
Meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of the month at 7:30PM in Mtg. Room A. Group co-leaders are Mary Lanigan and Barbara McGinley. For further information, call 527-1505. Meeting Date: December 11: “Mule Killers” by Lydia Peelle and “Rock-of-the-Mass” by Daniel Corkery.
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Singing
Group |
This group is for singers of all levels who enjoy singing classical and popular music. It meets monthly on Saturday afternoons, Noon – 1:30PM in Druker Auditorium. Meeting Date: December 16. Call coordinator Miriam Simen at 617-244-6705 for more info.
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Women in Career Transition |
Led by career counselor Joyce Picard, this group is for women downsizing careers, entering (or re-entering) the workforce or thinking of opting out. Pre-registration required: Call (617) 332-7600. It meets the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30PM in Room A. Meeting Date: Dec. 19.
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| Concerts/Entertainment |
All
concerts are free and open to the public. For directions to the Library,
please click here.
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| BSO Violist Gazouleas Honors Shostakovich |
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In honor of the centenary of Dmitri Shostakovich’s birth, Boston Symphony Orchestra violist Edward Gazouleas will return to the Library with pianist Hugh Hinton to present Shostakavich’s Sonata for viola and piano (1975), the last work completed by the composer, which makes extensive reference to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. The program on Sunday, December 3, at 2:00PM will also include the Suite in G Major for solo viola by Bach (transcribed) and the Sonata for viola and piano (1979) by American composer George Rochberg, a work with bluesy overtones.
Gazouleas appears regularly with the Boston Conservatory Chamber Players, the New Music group Collage, and in solo recitals, in addition to his performances with the BSO. Assistant Principal of the Boston Pops, he was formerly a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony and the New York String Orchestra under Alexander Schneider. Locally he has appeared with the Boston Artists Ensemble. He teaches at Boston University and the Tanglewood Music Center. |
Hinton has performed widely as a chamber musician and collaborative pianist, including concerts in Japan, Korea, Russia, Ukraine and throughout the Middle East. He has toured nationally with Core Ensemble, appeared as a concerto soloist with the Phoenix and Honolulu Symphonies, among many others, and recorded with the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra. He teaches at the Longy School of Music.
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The Shanghai Guitar Duo Comes to Library |
12 strings? 6 strings? Nylon? Electric? All of these different guitars come into play when the jazzy Shanghai Guitar Duo comes to the Library on Wednesday, December 13, at 7:30PM. These Master Chefs of Music will stir-fry your senses with an exciting buffet of musical improvisations, enchanting melodies and special, crispy rhythms.
A seventh generation musician with a flawless classical technique, Sandy Prager plays classical and 12- string guitar in a style which spans diverse influences: Latin, bop, Klezmer and many others. Guitar Nine magazine called his music “intense and rhythmically exciting ... [an] all-around top-notch artist.” His recordings are “Is As As Is,” “Figures of Speech,” “Open Door,” and “Seattle Joe’s.”
Guitarist Matthew Joy, an innovative musician and composer, blends different styles of music including jazz, folk, Brazilian, blues, rock, and world. He has performed throughout New England and made two recordings, “Pulse” and “Omnifarious”. |
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| Holiday Concert |
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Michelle and Eric Spinelli will perform a festive concert of Christmas and Hanukah music and other holiday favorites on clarinet and euphonium at the Library on Sunday, December 17 at 2:00PM.
Active freelancers, both separately and as a duo, the Spinellis have also performed throughout New England and New York with the Air Force Band of Liberty, New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble and Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble. Euphonium player Eric has also performed with Mr. Jack Daniel’s Silver Comet Band, the Harvey Phillips Tuba Company and the Cincinnati Wind Symphony. Clarinetist Michelle has appeared most recently with the Northeastern University Wind Ensemble. |
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| Lectures |
"An Inconvenient Truth" Screening, Discussion
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Green Decade Coalition/Newton and the Library present a special screening of "An Inconvenient Truth," followed by a discussion led by ecology expert Eric Olson on Saturday, December 2, at 1:00PM.
Former Vice President Al Gore presents a compelling look at the state of global warming in this inspirational documentary. Larry King called it, “One of the most important films ever” and Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com wrote, “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative...your mind will be changed in a nanosecond.”
Olson teaches ecology and environmental impact assessment at the Heller School of Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University. He also serves as Chairman of the Newton Citizens Commission on Energy. Olson’s focus on energy policy and technology stems from his concern that much of the world’s biological wealth will be harmed by too-rapid climate change, especially now that we have relegated so much of wild nature to national park “islands” in a sea of developed land.
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| Author of "Forever Young," JFK, Jr.'s Friend, William Noonan, to Speak |
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For twenty-five years, William Sylvester Noonan and John F. Kennedy, Jr., were best friends. In a humble and touching memoir, Forever Young: My Friendship with John F. Kennedy, Jr, Noonan (with Robert Huber) reveals the private John F. Kennedy, Jr. in a multi-dimensional portrait, both admiring and candid. Hear him speak on this New York Times bestseller at the Library on Wednesday, December 6, at 7:30PM, followed by a booksigning.
From the time he was a little boy, Noonan knew the Kennedys. His father was friendly with JFK, worked on his senatorial and presidential campaigns and played golf with the President when the author was just a kid scrambling over the dunes of Hyannisport with John, Jr. They spent many summers together there and their friendship continued to grow in the shadows of their absent fathers (Noonan lost his own father at age 13).
Forever Young gives readers unprecedented access to John’s private life and marriage, including unreleased photos of him, wife Carolyn Bessette, family and friends. Noonan discloses details on everything from John’s devoted relationship with his mother, teenage hijinks, the launch of the magazine George, run-ins with the paparazzi to his relationship with women such as Daryl Hannah and Madonna as America’s most-wanted bachelor and |
“Sexiest Man Alive.” It was to meet the Noonans for their anniversary, that John, Carolyn and her sister were flying when their plane crashed in July, 1999.
The myths surrounding JFK, Jr. began from the moment he saluted his father’s casket as a little boy. Noonan takes us inside the Kennedy compound to reveal America’s best-known son as a man who struggled with what it meant to embrace the legacy of his father and yet live life on his own terms.
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| An Evening of
Jewish Humor |
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In celebration of the 25th anniversary edition of The Big Book of Jewish Humor, editors William Novak and Moshe Waldoks will discuss Jewish humor and share some of their favorite jokes at the Library on Tuesday, December 12, at 7:30PM. This ideal Hanukah or holiday gift will be available for purchase that evening, cour-tesy of New England Mobile Book Fair.
From the moment it appeared in 1981, The Big Book of Jewish Humor has never been out of print. And with a new introduction and close to a hundred new jokes, the 25th anniversary edition will delight a whole new world of readers.
From the Marx Brothers to Mad Magazine, from the classic jokes of Eastern Europe to the Vaudeville routines of the Lower East Side, from the Wise Men of Chelm to Mel Brooks, from Leo Rosten, Lenny Bruce and Shel Silverstein to Woody Allen, Neil Simon and Philip Roth, the book contains jokes and sketches for everyone -
along with cartoons and curses, quotes and quips.
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There are sparkling selections from many newer examples of Jewish humor, including Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, along with nuggets of inspired Jewish wit from such unlikely sources as South Park, The Simpsons and The Daily Show, and some of the funniest Jewish material on the Internet.
Novak, who hosts the Library's annual fundraising evening, is best known for helping famous people write their memoirs, including Lee Iacocca, Tip O’Neill, the Mayflower Madam, Nancy Reagan, Natan Sharansky, Oliver North, Magic Johnson, George Stephanopoulos and Tim Russert. He and Waldoks are co-editors of The Big Book of New American Humor.
Waldoks is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Zion in Brookline. He lectures and performs widely throughout the English, Hebrew and Yiddish speaking worlds.
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“The Watchers and the Watched"
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“We are at the same time actors and spectators in the
great drama of nature.” - Physicist Niels Bohr
In 1990, Artist Berta Golahny and composer Paul DiCrescenzo combined forces to create a startling visual presentation with jazz and classical music - their reflections on man’s relationship to the evolving universe and our complex society. “The Watchers and the Watched” will be shown on Thursday, December 14, at 7:00PM at the Library, introduced by art historian Amy Golahny, the late artist’s daughter.
In four movements, we see expressions of the raw energy of cosmic formations, the biblical account of the creation of the world in 7days, a series of paintings “Landscape of Man in the Nuclear Age,” and images on the theme of the stages of life, from awareness of self to awareness of the outside world and all its complications.
Berta Golahny (1924-2005), painter and printmaker, exhibited nationally and internationally, including a show at the Library in 1995. Her work is held in numerous |
private collections including the Fogg Art Museum and the Library of Congress. She taught for many years at Cambridge Center for Adult Education and lived in Newton.
Paul DiCrescenzo is a jazz guitarist who, with vocalist Rosalie DiCrescen-zo and bassist Tom Petrakes, form the trio Pieces of One. He has played with his trio and guests at Sculler’s, Ryles, Willow Jazz Club and other venues.
Amy Golahny is a Professor of Art History at Lycoming College, PA who has written extensively on Rembrandt, Dutch and Italian art.
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Cookbooks & Other Gifts
Stop by the Friends Gift Cart in the Main Library lobby for all kinds of stocking stuffers and gifts: Our Best Recipes, the Library's ESL international cookbook, games, note cards and more.
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Stop by the Reference Desk or call 617-796-1380 to sign up for any of our free one-session classes in PC Basics, Internet, Search Engines and more.
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Morning Programs at the Library |
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Nonantum Book Group
The Nonantum branch bookgroup will discuss A Summer All Her Own by Rosanne Keller on Wed., December 13, at 10:30AM, with refreshments available.
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Newton Corner Book Group
Newton Corner's group will discuss Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own on Friday, December 29, at 10:30AM at Evans Park. (396.5W88R 1957)
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Booklists
Available
Looking
for a good book to read or conducting research in a particular area?
The Reference Department has compiled many booklists in a variety of
subjects: African Americans in American Life, College Admissions, Books
for Modern Parents, Buddhism, Day Trips, Gardening Guides, Rise and
Fall of Saddam Hussein, Retirement and much more.
Ask a Reference librarian at the YA Desk on the second floor for help in locating a list, or click here. |
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| For Your Information |
Consider
a Gift to the Library
Please help supplement our municipal funding and contribute towards
the purchase of books, audio/visual materials or equipment. Send your
check, payable to the Trustees, to: Development Office, Newton Free
Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton, MA 02459. For further information,
call 796-1400. Thank you.
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To Our Concert Goers:
Please be considerate of the performer
today as well as your fellow audience members and refrain from leaving
the auditorium during a piece of music. If you have small children with
you, please sit in the back rows. If you leave the auditorium between
pieces, please close the door quietly behind you and wait to re-enter
after a musical piece. Also, if you have a cellphone, please shut if
off. Thank you. |
| PLEASE
DON'T SAVE SEATS!
When attending a Sunday afternoon concert,
please do not save more than one seat as this deprives others of attending
the concert. The rule is first come, first served.
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